


Unexpected

by fadeoutslow



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 14:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2853560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadeoutslow/pseuds/fadeoutslow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set during the Lotus years. Romain is always smiling. Old fic reposted from tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected

They're sitting in the back of the garage, next to each other on adjoining chairs, and Kimi would normally prefer to be as far away from Romain as possible, but he's going to be called to get back in the car any moment now, and his legs are aching and there's nowhere else to sit, so.

Still, Romain doesn't say anything, doesn't even try to talk to him, and Kimi has to admit that the guy's pretty good about that, about not talking when it's not necessary, about respecting Kimi's space.

He appreciates that.

He looks over at Romain, and he's watching the mechanics work, smiling, wearing that same bizarrely serene, beatific face that he seems to have on something like ninety nine percent of the time. Kimi found that kind of creepy, at first, but he soon worked out that Romain's harmless enough. 

Just weird. Really, _really_ weird.

"You're always smiling," Kimi says to him.

And Romain turns, looks at him, still smiling. "I'm always happy."

"No one's always happy."

"I am," says Romain.

"Hmm," Kimi grunts, and, annoyingly, Romain just smiles even more. 

"Besides," he says, "one of us has to smile."

Kimi regards him for a second, but then very deliberately decides to take that remark in the spirit in which it was obviously intended. Which, he thinks, is very generous of him.

_Extremely_ generous.

"It's okay," says Romain, like he understands. "I know you smile on the inside."

"Yeah, I don't," Kimi says, because that's the stupidest thing he's ever heard.

"You do." Romain reaches over, pats Kimi's leg, and Kimi's pretty damn sure he's being patronised. That is, until Romain doesn't move his hand away, leaving it resting on Kimi's thigh. And maybe it's some weird French guy bonding thing, Kimi thinks, something perfectly innocent, but then Romain starts squeezing with his fingers, digging into the muscle of Kimi's leg, subtle, but hard enough for his intent to be unmistakable.

And that's, well. _Unexpected_. Kimi looks down at Romain's hand, then back up at his face. "Aren't you married?" he asks.

"Aren't you?" Romain says, straight back at him, and there's a different kind of smile on his face now. 

"Separated," Kimi answers, and the word still stings, sharp in his mouth. "But you're _married_ married, right?"

Romain shrugs. "We have an arrangement."

"What?" Kimi says, because he's still not sure he understands. "You get to screw chicks on the side?"

"Oh no," Romain says, sunnily. "Just guys. _She_ sleeps with girls."

"Really?"

Romain nods eagerly. "Sometimes she lets me watch."

And Kimi just stares at him. "No wonder you're so fucking happy," he says.

"I know." Romain leans in closer. "Are you busy tonight?"

"No," Kimi says, because he's not. Tomorrow is quali, so he can't drink tonight.

"Guys," the team call, and they both stand up, Romain's hand falling back to rest by his side.

"What's your room number?" he asks, and Kimi hesitates a moment, wonders if he should think this through, but what the hell, right, so he says the number, muttering it like he doesn't care, like it's nothing important.

"Come on," says Kimi's engineer, impatient, but Kimi doesn't move, watching Romain's face, his mouth.

Romain looks back at him. "Maybe I'll make you smile," he says, softly.

"I doubt it," Kimi tells him.

And Romain laughs. "I like a challenge," he says, walking away, glancing back over his shoulder. "See you tonight."

"Yeah," Kimi says. "Sure."


End file.
